A British angler told today how he snared a predator fish that kills men by biting off their testicles.

Fearless Jeremy Wade, 53, spent weeks hunting for the fish in remote Papua New Guinea after locals reported a mysterious beast that was castrating young fishermen. He finally found the Pacu fish — known locally as the “Ball Cutter” — and managed to catch one in his small wooden fishing boat. Jeremy wrestled the 40lb monster on to the floor and opened its jaws with his hands to discover human-style teeth. The Pacu fish uses them to tear off the testicles of unwitting anglers, leaving them to bleed to death.

Jeremy, from Bath, Somerset, told how he reeled in the creature as part of his new series of River Monsters — to be screened on ITV next week. He said, “We put a line into the water and waited for it to bite. When I reeled it in, it had this mouth which was surprisingly human-like, it is almost like they have teeth specially made for crushing. They are like human molars and the fish have powerful jaw muscles. They are very deep bodied and solid like a carp, with strong muscles.”

Pacu fish are usually found in the Amazon, where they need their teeth to crack into the tough cases of nuts and seeds. The previously vegetarian fish were introduced to Papua New Guinea 15 years ago to increase stocks.

River Monsters Series Three will begin on ITV1 at 7.30pm on January 3. The fourth series is currently in production.